Chicago Bears seasons
From Chicago Bears Wiki
This is a list of seasons completed by the Chicago Bears American football franchise of the National Football League. The list documents the season-by-season records of the Bears' franchise from 1920 to present, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches. The Bears franchise was founded as the Decatur Staleys, a charter member of the American Professional Football Association. The team moved to Chicago in 1921, and changed their name to the Bears in 1922, the same year the APFA changed its name to the National Football League.
The Chicago Bears have played over one thousand games. In those games, the club won nine Professional American Football league championships including eight NFL Championships and one Super Bowl – the second most in Professional American Football. (The Green Bay Packers have won twelve.) The franchise captured seventeen NFL divisional titles and four NFL conference championships, and recorded more regular season (670) and overall victories (686) than any other NFL franchise.
The franchise has experienced three major periods of continued success in their history. The first period of success came from 1932–1946 when the Bears played in nine NFL Championship Games, winning six of them. This period saw the Bears participate in the first ever National Football League playoff game, the first ever official NFL Championship Game, and become the American football sports dynasty of the 1940's. The Bears played in four straight NFL Championship Games between 1940–1944, winning three of them including a 73–0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940 still an NFL record. The second period of success was between 1984–1991 where the Bears captured six NFC Central Division titles in eight years and won Super Bowl XX. However, this period of success was marred by the belief that the franchise could have been more successful, but individual egos ruled over team performance. The most recent period of success ranges from 2005–present where the franchise has captured two straight NFC North titles and a NFC Championship title earning them a berth in Super Bowl XLI, which the club lost to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears have experienced failure in their history. The two most noteable times of failure were in the 1970's, where the franchise finished in last place within their division five times, and in the mid to late 1990's and early 2000's, where the club posted six season with ten or more losses. By chance these two decades the 1970's and 1990's are the only decades in the Bears history where the franchise has not won or played for an NFL Championship or Super Bowl. In 1969 season, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–13 showing.
- For complete team history, see History of the Chicago Bears
- The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play. Regular and postseason records are combined only at the bottom of the list.
| NFL Champions (1920–1969) | Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth | One-Game Playoff Berth |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular Season | Post Season Results | Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
| Decatur Staleys | ||||||||||
| 1920 | 1920 | APFA | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 2 | The APFA did not hold playoff games | |||
| Chicago Staleys | ||||||||||
| 1921 | 1921 | APFA | 1st | 9 | 1 | 0 | Named APFA Champions Template:Small <ref>The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932. The team that finished with the best regular season record was named the league champions.</ref> | |||
| Chicago Bears | ||||||||||
| 1922 | 1922 | NFL | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932 | |||
| 1923 | 1923 | NFL | 2nd | 9 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1924 | 1924 | NFL | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 1925 | 1925 | NFL | 7th | 9 | 5 | 3 | ||||
| 1926 | 1926 | NFL | 2nd | 12 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 1927 | 1927 | NFL | 3rd | 9 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1928 | 1928 | NFL | 5th | 7 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1929 | 1929 | NFL | 9th | 4 | 9 | 2 | ||||
| 1930 | 1930 | NFL | 3rd | 9 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| 1931 | 1931 | NFL | 3rd | 8 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1932 | 1932 | NFL | 1st | 7 | 1 | 6 | Named NFL Champions Template:SmallThe result of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game to determine the NFL champion between the Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans. The game counted in the standings and broke the tie. | |||
| 1933 | 1933 | NFL | West | 1st | 10 | 2 | 1 | Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Giants) (23-21)The score of the playoff game is in parenthesis with the Bears score first no matter of the outcome. | ||
| 1934 | 1934 | NFL | West | 1st | 13 | 0 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Giants) (13-30)<ref name="perfect"> The Bears were denied perfect seasons on two accounts. The first one was in the 1934 when the 13-0 club lost to the New York Giants in the Championship game. The second occurrence happenend in 1942 when the 11-0 club was denied perfection and a "three-peat" by the Washington Redskins.</ref> | ||
| 1935 | 1935 | NFL | West | T-3rd | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 1936 | 1936 | NFL | West | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1937 | 1937 | NFL | West | 1st | 9 | 1 | 1 | Lost NFL Championship (Redskins) (21-28) | ||
| 1938 | 1938 | NFL | West | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1939 | 1939 | NFL | West | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1940 | 1940 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 3 | 0 | Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Redskins) (73-0) | ||
| 1941 | 1941 | NFL | West | 1st | 10 | 1 | 0 | Won Western Divisional Playoff (Packers) (33-14) Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Giants) (37-9) | ||
| 1942 | 1942 | NFL | West | 1st | 11 | 0 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Redskins) (6-14)<ref name="perfect"> </ref> | ||
| 1943 | 1943 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 1 | 1 | Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Redskins) (41-21) | Sid Luckman (MVP) | |
| 1944 | 1944 | NFL | West | T-2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 1945 | 1945 | NFL | West | 4th | 3 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1946 | 1946 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 2 | 1 | Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Giants) (24-14) | ||
| 1947 | 1947 | NFL | West | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1948 | 1948 | NFL | West | 2nd | 10 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 1949 | 1949 | NFL | West | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1950 | 1950 | NFL | National | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | Lost Conference Playoff (Rams) (14-24) | ||
| 1951 | 1951 | NFL | National | 4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1952 | 1952 | NFL | National | 5th | 5 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1953 | 1953 | NFL | Western | 4th | 3 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 1954 | 1954 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1955 | 1955 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1956 | 1956 | NFL | Western | 1st | 9 | 2 | 1 | Lost NFL Championship (Giants) (7-47) | ||
| 1957 | 1957 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1958 | 1958 | NFL | Western | T-2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1959 | 1959 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1960 | 1960 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 1961 | 1961 | NFL | Western | T-3rd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Mike Ditka (ROY) | ||
| 1962 | 1962 | NFL | Western | 3rd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Ronnie Bull (ROY) | ||
| 1963 | 1963 | NFL | Western | 1st | 11 | 1 | 2 | Won NFL Championship Template:Small (Giants) (14-10) | George Halas (COY) | |
| 1964 | 1964 | NFL | Western | 6th | 5 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1965 | 1965 | NFL | Western | 3rd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Gale Sayers (ROY) George Halas (COY) | ||
| 1966 | 1966 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 7 | 2 | |||
| 1967<ref>The 1967 NFL season marks the first season in the league's history where the league was divided into two conferences which were subdivided into two divisions. Up to 1967, the league was either divided into two divisions, two conferences, or neither.</ref> | 1967 | NFL | Western | Central | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1968 | 1968 | NFL | Western | Central | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1969 | 1969 | NFL | Western | Central | 4th | 1 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1970 | 1970 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1971 | 1971 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1972 | 1972 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 4 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 1973 | 1973 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 3 | 11 | 0 | Wally Chambers (DROY) | |
| 1974 | 1974 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1975 | 1975 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1976 | 1976 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | Jack Pardee (COY) | |
| 1977 | 1977 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) (7-37) | Walter Payton (MVP/NFC) (OPOY/MOY) |
| 1978 | 1978 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1979 | 1979 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) (17-27) | |
| 1980 | 1980 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1981 | 1981 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1982<ref>1982 was a strike-shorten season so the league was divided up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.</ref> | 1982 | NFL | NFC | 12th | 3 | 6 | 0 | Jim McMahon (ROY) | ||
| 1983 | 1983 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1984 | 1984 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (23-19) Lost Conference Championship (49ers) (0-23) | Mike Singletary (NFC) |
| 1985 | 1985 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 15 | 1 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) (21-0) Won Conference Championship (Rams) (24-0) Won Super Bowl XX Template:Small (Patriots) (46-10)<ref>Even though this is the franchise's first Super Bowl victory, it is their 9th league championship so that is why the number 9 is placed after the Super Bowl XX line.</ref> | Mike Singletary (DPY/NFC) Mike Ditka (COY) Richard Dent (MVP) Walter Payton (NFC/BBA) |
| 1986 | 1986 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (13-27) | |
| 1987<ref>The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games.</ref> | 1987 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 11 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (17-21) | Dave Duerson (MOY) |
| 1988 | 1988 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) (20-12)<ref>The game was known as the Fog Bowl due to the heavy fog that covered the field for most of the game.</ref> Lost Conference Championship (49ers) (3-28) | Mike Singletary (DPY/NFC) Mike Ditka (COY) |
| 1989 | 1989 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1990 | 1990 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Saints) (16-6) Lost Divisional Playoffs (Giants) (3-31) | Mark Carrier (DROY/ROY) Mike Singletary (MOY) |
| 1991 | 1991 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Cowboys) (13-17) | |
| 1992 | 1992 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1993 | 1993 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | 1994 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Vikings) (35-18) Lost Divisional Playoffs (49ers) (15-44) | Dave Wannstedt (COY) |
| 1995 | 1995 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Rashaan Salaam (ROY) | |
| 1996 | 1996 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1997 | 1997 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1998 | 1998 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | 1999 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 2000 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 5 | 11 | 0 | Brian Urlacher (DROY) Jim Flanigan (MOY) | |
| 2001 | 2001 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) (19-33)<ref>This marked the final game to be played at the old Soldier Field as the stadium went under a massive $600 million, 20 month renovation.</ref> | Anthony Thomas (OROY) Dick Jauron (COY) |
| 2002 | 2002 | NFL | NFC | North | 3rd | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 2003 | NFL | NFC | North | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 2004 | NFL | NFC | North | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 2005 | NFL | NFC | North | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Panthers) (21-29)<ref>This was the first playoff game played at the newly renovated Soldier Field.</ref> | Brian Urlacher (DPY) Lovie Smith (COY) |
| 2006 | 2006 | NFL | NFC | North | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) (27-24 OT) Won Conference Championship (Saints) (39-14) Lost Super Bowl XLI (Colts) (17-29) | |
| 2007The 2007 NFL season begins on September 9, 2007. This will be the franchise's 88th regular season of professional competition. | 2007 | NFL | NFC | North | 1st | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 670 | 482 | 42 | (1920–2006, includes only regular season) | ||||||
| 16 | 17 | (1920–2006, includes only playoffs) | ||||||||
| 686 | 499 | 42 | (1920–2006, includes both regular season and playoffs) | |||||||